Make HR simple

By Luke Stangel

The CHRO job will soon be defined by the ability to create
consumer‑like experiences for employees

CHROs expect a big
increase in digitization over the next three years

Companies will move away from single HR systems and towards
platforms that automate many HR processes

HR leaders have long suspected that getting a new hire up and
running quickly translates into long‑term retention. Testing this
theory was difficult, however, as the necessary data was trapped in
unconnected systems, on paper, or not tracked at all.

Australian engineering giant Ausenco got a chance to test the theory
when it digitized and centralized its HR data. The analysis found
employees who had a smooth, quick onboarding process were more likely
to stay for at least two years at the company. Employees who crossed
the two‑year mark often ended up staying for six years or longer.

“We see a really strong correlation between successful onboarding of
employees and allowing them to become effective really quickly in the
business,” says Neil Trembath, chief people and technology officer at
Ausenco. “Employees who perhaps don’t get a great experience in the
first six months, they’re most likely going to leave us.”

Ausenco’s experience is a harbinger of big changes to come for human
resources. Within three years, 56% of chief human resources officers
expect that their jobs will be best defined by the ability to create a
digital, consumerized employee experience, according to a new survey of more than 500 CHROs
commissioned by ServiceNow. That’s up from just 16% today.

They’ve got a lot of work to do to get there: 62% percent of CHROs
say they’ve only digitized between 0% and 30% of HR tasks. Yet some
93% percent of CHROs surveyed said they expect to digitize more than
30% within the next three years.

Ultimately, these companies say their goal is to improve employee
engagement and employee satisfaction by rolling out technology that’s
personalized, predictive and easy to use.

Paper roots

Historically, HR has been one of the most tactical, hands‑on business
functions. HR departments are typically packed with specialists who
field dozens of emails and phone calls every day about paychecks,
vacation time, expenses, equipment, hiring, and internal disputes.

But CHROs are increasingly automating parts of the HR workflow, and
giving employees more access to HR information and their own HR data—a
transformation driven as much by pressure from employees as by access
to better technology.

“My life actually is very digital as an individual,” says Aileen
Tan, group CHRO at Singapore‑based telecom company SingTel. “If the
workplace is not as digital as in my day‑to‑day consumer life, I’m
going to have a poor employee experience.”

In response to this pressure, Tan encouraged SingTel to make its HR
platform available on a mobile app, with self‑service features built in.

Future tech

The implications for HR of some maturing technologies are obvious for
all to see. AI‑powered software can comb through hundreds of resumes
to identify a short list of the best candidates. Video conferencing
makes face‑to‑face interviews faster and more efficient. Software can
automate the new hire onboarding process, automatically provisioning
equipment, desk space, a company credit card and car, while making
sure new employees are set up for payroll and accounting before their
first day.

Some 31% of CHROs in the ServiceNow study say their core role today
is creating an amazing employee experience throughout the employee
lifecycle, with these technologies playing a key role.

“There are opportunities, using data and employee input, to more
deeply understand associates’ current experiences, including ‘moments
of value,’ unmet needs and friction points,” says Tim Huval, CHRO at
health insurance company Humana. “Using this approach, it will be
possible for us to create efficient and warm experiences leveraging
process, technology and the involvement of people.”

In the survey, CHROs say they’re increasingly looking beyond
single‑purpose HR apps, with a focus on platforms that pull many HR
processes into a single experience—with intelligent chatbots,
self‑service portals and social features built in.

More than 80% of CHROs said they expected the software they invest
in to live in the cloud, with more than 60% saying they wanted it to
be mobile, and include collaboration features. If they’re successful,
not only will these new investments help cut down on the volume of
HR‑related emails and phone calls, they’ll improve the employee
experience, as well.

Luke Stangel is a technology writer whose work has appeared in
the Silicon Valley Business Journal, San Jose Mercury News, among
other places. Earlier, he cofounded a consumer software startup, and
worked at Facebook.